For everyone at the Scorrose forum: Happy New Year! I love you all – Alice, Vicky, Rae, both Ro's, Maddie, Livvi, Louise, Jac, Jane, Nic, Middy, Amy, Naomi, and Summer.
J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. Darren Criss owns the lyrics to "Days of Summer." Albus Dumbledore owns his quote.
maybe this isn't goodbye after all
-i don't wanna see you go-
The great castle suddenly loomed out of the darkness, arousing a chorus of delight from the tiny first years in their boats. In the boat she shared with Albus, Sarah Longbottom, and Scorpius Malfoy, whom her father had warned her against, Rose clutched the hands of the people nearest her, blue eyes glowing with excitement and anticipation.
"Um, Weasley?" Scorpius began. "You're choking my hand…" He was completely affronted and shared a panicked look with Albus.
Rose looked at their intertwined hands with surprise. "Oh – er – sorry," she said, finally releasing it. "But the castle – it's so beautiful!" she exclaimed, in raptures.
"Yeah," Scorpius agreed, looking at her like she was insane. "Yeah, it is."
-but it's not forever, not forever-
"SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY! IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ARSE DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW I WILL –"
"I'm here!" he shouted, dashing down the staircase of the boys' dormitory. "What is it?"
He looked at her properly. "Are you okay, Rosie?" the twelve-year-old asked, concerned by her terrified face.
Rose nodded, even though she looked like she was about to burst into tears. "It's just – there's a spider."
"Where?" he asked. She pointed, and he strode forward with exaggerated steps, making her giggle, and squashed the offending creature.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm so silly, aren't I? Scared of a little bug?"
Scorpius came to her side. "We're all afraid, Rosie. Don't worry about it. I'll always be here to squash the spiders for you."
"Really?" she asked, blinking away her tears.
How could he refuse that face? "Of course I will," he vowed.
-even if it was you know that i would never let it get me down-
"Dad's gonna kill me," Rose whispered, swiping at her tearstained face.
"No, he won't," Scorpius said soothingly.
"Rosie, he wasn't on the team until his fifth year," Albus said, hugging his distraught cousin.
"I know," she sniffed, "but he's always said that I'm so much better than him. And I can't even make the Quidditch team."
"It's not that bad," Scorpius said. "Now you don't have to play Quidditch against me!" he exclaimed, grinning.
"Because that would just be terrifying," Rose said, rolling her eyes.
"Exactly!" Scorpius agreed. "You would be in such awe and terror of my amazing Quidditch skills that you would faint and fall off your broom." He shrugged modestly as if it was the only logical occurrence of events.
"Right," Rose said, exasperated by his arrogance, but cheered up all the same. "It's not like I've never beaten you at Quidditch before."
"That was when you were playing with your aunt and uncle!" he protested vehemently. "Who are practically world-class! That game was not at all fair!"
Rose traded a look with Albus that plainly said, He's in denial.
-cause you're the part of me that makes me better-
The last of the horseless carriages were about to leave, and Rose, Scorpius, and Albus had yet to board one.
"Where are those dratted boys?" Rose muttered, hopping on one foot and trying to spot the two boys, one blond and one dark-haired.
"Right here," a drawling voice said in her ear.
"Scor? What – where did you come from?" she asked, bewildered.
"Under here," Albus said, throwing off his dad's Invisibility Cloak.
Rose glared at him. "We're going to miss the carriages if you two keep up with your games. In fact," she added, looking at the empty expanse of paved driveway in front of them, "we have missed the carriages. Thanks a lot, guys." The sarcasm was evident in her tone.
"Let's start walking, then," Albus said practically. Scorpius, however, had a different idea.
"We have our brooms," he said, shrugging.
"Actually, we don't," Rose pointed out. "Since our trunks are on the train already –"
" But we have our –" Scorpius began.
"Wands," Rose finished, taking hers out. Together, she and Scorpius cried, "Accio brooms!"
After a moment, three brooms soared towards them. The three fifteen-year-olds grinned in childish delight and, mounting their brooms, took to the sky.
-wherever i go-
"I can't believe this," Albus said rapturously. "I. Cannot. Believe. This. We're going to the Quidditch World Cup. The QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP!" he shouted, flinging his arms around his two best friends in exhilaration.
"Ugh, gerroff me," Scorpius said, plucking Albus's arm off his shoulder.
Rose snickered. "I realize that, Albus," she said patiently. "But do you realize we get to go to Kampala? I've always wanted to go there!"
Albus and Scorpius once again exchanged a look that questioned Rose's sanity.
"Did you know that in 1891 the African Wizarding Convention was held there and –"
"Rose," Scorpius started. "No offense, but we really don't care."
She looked momentarily upset before her face turned stony. "If you don't, then I'll go find someone who does," she declared, leaving Albus's room.
Scorpius put his head in his hands. "I'm so bloody stupid," he moaned quietly.
"Um…no offense mate, but you might want to think before you speak sometimes," Albus suggested quietly. "Before you ruin your chances with her."
-so i will try not to cry-
"Rose – Rose, what's the matter?" Scorpius asked, tugging at the hands childishly covering her face. She shook her head and refused to speak, instead rocking back and forth, curled up on her bed.
"Rose, you know you can tell me anything," he said softly. "What's wrong?"
Another sob escaped from her throat as she handed him a tearstained letter, which he read with growing horror.
"Oh, God, Rose, I know it doesn't mean much, but I'm so sorry," he said, tossing aside the awful letter with its hateful words – "Uncle Charlie died yesterday" – and gathering the weeping girl in his arms.
He embraced her tightly, clambering up onto the bed next to her and stroking her back, getting his shirt soaked through with her tears, whispering words that didn't mean anything anymore to her broken heart.
After a while, she murmured the first words she had all day – "Stay with me."
He smiled bitterly. "Of course I will, Rose darling, of course I will. Always." He kissed the top of her head, tousled from her weeping. "I love you," he murmured.
Rose looked at him with tear-filled blue eyes and almost managed a smile. "I love you too," she whispered, and then buried her head in his collarbone and wept even more fiercely.
-cause no one needs to say goodbye-
Rose looked back at the castle one last time, not believing that this was the last time she would ever see it as a student, and then ascended to the podium once more. "I just want to say thank you," she said. "Thank you to my wonderful teachers, classmates, friends, and family. But most of all – and I know this seems silly – I want to say thank you to Hogwarts. Because, in the words of one of the greatest men the world has ever seen, 'Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.' Hogwarts has been a second home to me, and I know it always will be. And that's why I'm so sad to leave it, but I know that it will always be there to welcome me home. So thank you, everyone. Thank you, Hogwarts."
She left the podium to thunderous applause, nearly in tears, and returned to her seat beside Marjorie Vamp, who patted her hand.
An hour later, the no-longer-seventh-years were scattered all about the beautiful lawn. "That was a beautiful speech, Rosie," Scorpius said, smiling at his girlfriend, who was still crying.
"Thanks," she said, trying to wipe away her tears. "It's just – I just can't believe we're done! We only get seven years and they've already gone and I just can't believe they're over already," she said sadly.
"But it's like you said, isn't it?" Albus said, joining them. "No matter what, Hogwarts will always be here to welcome us home."
Rose smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "Now go bother Sarah," she said, grinning. "I can tell Scorp wants to talk to me. Alone."
Albus left after one look at her stubborn face.
"You're right, as always," Scorpius said. Then, getting to one knee, he began his speech: "Rose, love, I know we're only eighteen, but – well, I don't want to spend my life with anyone else." He took out a black velvet box and opened it, holding it out to her as an offering. "I love you, Rose Weasley. Will you marry me?"
Rose smiled, tears leaking from her eyes, and she too knelt to the ground as she kissed him passionately. "Of course, you inarticulate bumble. Of course!" she cried, embracing him once more.
"Now we don't have to say goodbye," Scorpius said, "And you can always get my shirts wet."
She glared at him, and then, bursting into tears, acted upon his words.